Improvement in railway hand-cars



G.- S. SHEFFIELD. Railway Hand-Oar.

Patented Mar. 11, 1879.

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N4 PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER, wASmNGTuN, u C.

GEORGE S. SHEFFIELD, OF

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THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY HAND-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,254, dated March11, 1879; application filed January 25, 1879.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1,-Gnonen S. SHEFFIELD, of Three Rivers, in the countyof St. Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented a new and valuableImprovement in Railway Hand- Trucks; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the constructionand operation of the same, reference beinghad to the annexed drawings,making apart of this specification, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked there- Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation ofa side elevation of my railroad hand-truck, and Fig. 2 is a bottom-planview of the same.

My invention relates to a railway-velocipede, a portable hand-truckadapted to operate upon a track of broad or narrow gage; and the noveltyconsists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as will be morefully hereinafter set forth.

In carrying out my invention I employ two longitudinal bars below,connected together and to two similar bars above. In the lower bars Ijournal a forward riding-wheel and a rear driving-wheel. A crank-shaft,carrying a cog-wheel, is suitably journaled in the lower bars. A pitmanfrom the crank connects with the arms of a pivoted hand-lever, and thecogwheel, by a train of multiplyinggear, connects with a pinion rigidupon the shaft of the drive-wheel.

Pivoted upon the forward end of the upper bars are pendent arms carryinghooked links, which are removably engaged with the arms upon the pivotedhand-lever, and a stud above holds the same firmly up when not in use. Astirrup or foot-rest is secured to the junction of each link andpendant, and may be used in connection with the hand-lever to multiplypower, or simply as a foot-brace, as desired.

The wheels are slightly beveled from the outer edges of theirperipheries toward the flange, which serves to keep them on the rail.

Sockets in the frame afford bearings for a lateral arm or axle, whichcarries a smaller flanged wheel, which traverses the opposite rail, inorder to confine the truck to the track. The lateral arm is adjustablysecured in the sockets, so that it can be shifted to adapt the car to abroad or narrow gage road, the said bar being held in the desiredposition by means of a set-screw extending through a cross-beam securedto the upper longitudinal bars.

The letter A represents the truck of my improved railway-velocipede,consisting of two upper longitudinal parallel bars, B B, and two lowerlongitudinal parallel bars, 0 O, the upper and lower bars beingconnected together by means of a series of vertical standards, D D I).The letter E represents a forward ridin g-wheel, journaled in bearings FF at the forward ends of the lower longitudinal bars, 0 G. The letter Grrepresents a crank-shaft, journaled in bearings H H on the lower bars, 0G, and carrying a cog-wheel, I, journaled in bearings H H on said lowerbars. The letters L L represent pitmen connected to the crankpins of thecrank-shaft G, and with a handlever, M, pivoted in bearings N on thelower bars, (3 O. The cog-wheel I intermeshes with a smaller cog-wheel,O, which intermeshes in turn with a pinion, P, rigidly mounted on theshaft of the driving-wheel R, which is journaled in bearings S on thelower longitudinal bars, 0 O. The tread of both the riding-wheel and thedriving-wheel is made slightly concave in cross-section, in order to hugthe rail and better confine the truck to the track.

The letters T T represent two pendent arms, pivoted in bearings U U onthe upper bars, and carrying at their lower ends hooked links A A whichare adapted to be detachably secured to the arm B of the hand-lever M.The letters 0 0 represent studs attached to the bars 0 O, to which thehooked links may be attached when not in use. D represents astirrup orfoot-rest, secured to the j unction of each link and pendant, which maybe used, in connection with the handlever, to multiply power, or as afoot brace or rest, as may be desired.

The letter E represents two sockets, secured to the lower sides of theupper bars, B B,'in which is adj ustably mounted a lateral arm, F,carrying at its outer extremity a flanged wheel, G, which is adapted totraverse the opposite rail to that upon which the riding and drivingwheelstravel. The letter A represents a setscrew, mounted in across-beam, I, secured to the upper bars, B B, the lower end of saidsetscrew being adapted to be brought to bear against the lateral arm, soas to confine it in place when shifted in or out to adapt the car tobroad or narrow gage roads.

To the upper longitudinal bars is secured a seat, K, for the operator,in such position that he may conveniently grasp and operate thehand-lever with his hands, his feet resting upon the stirrups secured tothe pendants, which serve, as before mentioned, as footbraces simply, orto multiply the power when the links are secured to the hand-lever.

The letter L represents a brace-rod secured to the lateral arm of thecar, and adapted to be detachably secured to a pin, M, on one of thelower bars, 0 G, for the purpose of steadying said lateral arm.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. The combination of the hand-lever, the dependent arms T, adapted tobe connected therewith by means of detachable links, and the stirrupssecured to said dependent arms,

whereby the foot-power may be applied to the car, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination, with the dependent arms T and their links, of thestuds secured to the truck for supporting said links when detached fromthe hand-lever, substantially as specified.

3. In combination with the truck, a lateral arm carrying a flangedwheel, adapted to vtraverse the opposite rail to that upon which theriding and driving wheels travel, said arm being adjustably secured tothe truck, in order to adapt the apparatus to broad or narrow gageroads, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S. SHEFFIELD.

Witnesses:

W. J. WILLI'rs, A. O. TI'rUs.

